There was a woman. She had scissors, some heavy paper, color pencils, an ink pen and a glue stick.

She glued two pieces of paper together and opened her mind and heart to see what might join her! Her eyes widened as her paper filled with a tall friend, a small friend, a jump friend and more!

She made sure they had color and books in their hands. Then cut them out and gave them something a little extra so they could stand up on their own!

Happy, the woman began playing. The tall one with the small one. The jump one and the super one stand on their own, then the cake with the cupcake one. It was pure play. Play Play Play. This! then That! Up then Down! Here now There! Then the visions started coming. Outer space adventures, deep sea mermaids and ships. Bears and jaguars. Birds and babies.

The woman longed to make more play things. Find more stories! And so it was that she was a children’s book maker.

She allways remembered…to make books that children can enter and find themselves…

one must enter first and play, play, play. Big blessings on ALL your play! May you play your way right into making a great big book!

Maya Gonzalez is largely self-taught. She has illustrated over 20 award-winning multicultural children’s books and written 3 with, not an end in sight! Her latest book, Call Me Tree, set to come out this year with Lee&Low Books, is her most recent labor of love! Her fine art has shown internationally and appears in numerous books about the contemporary Chicano Art Movement including on the cover of Living Chicana Theory and Contemporary Chicana and Chicano Art: Artists, Works, Culture and Education considered to be "the Bible of Chicano/a art." Ridiculously creative, she’s probably making art as you read this or thinking about making art if she’s driving a car or using the stove. And one of her ultimate passions is inspiring others to create books, because she believes that creating children's books has the potential to be one of the most radical things you can do!

This is so great!!! Many years ago, my first grandchild, at around the age of 6 and I, sat down behind a tall wicker couch and put various small finger puppets on our hands and told a story of a King and a peasant. (Her mother took a few pictures of the action.) The peasant's cows wandered into the King's private land and the story flowed. We had fun getting him (actually granddaughter's uncle in N. Ireland) out of this troubles thereafter with the King. We even drew pictures to 'make' a book. Fun, fun fun experience!

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maya gonzalez

2/11/2014 11:31:43 am

what a great memory! i love hearing! thanks for sharing sweetie!

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Meet the Friday Blogonauts

First Fridayswill feature Bryan Patrick Avery, published writer , man of mystery, and professional magician among other things.

Fourth Fridayswill feature the great Christine Taylor-Butler who has published over 70 award-winning fiction and non-fiction and nonfiction books including the acclaimed new middle grade series - The Lost Tribes.